Complete Guide To Buying a Tata Tiago

Tata launched the Tiago back in 2016. Over the years, the small 5-door hatchback has evolved into one of the safest and most versatile options in the affordable car segment. The versatility that we are talking about comes in the form of power options—Petrol, Electric, and finally, CNG.

Depending on the fuel and variant, the Tata Tiago comes with a price tag of anywhere between Rs. 5.60 to 12.04 lakh. The Tiago received a facelift in 2020, and it got a model year update in 2022. Here’s a complete guide to buying the Tata Tiago, the specifications, pros & cons, and the best variant you should consider.

Tata Tiago Specifications

Why You Should Consider the Tata Tiago

The Tiago has been around for around seven years now. And the 4 million sales figure of the Tiago suggests there’s something that people love about it. Over the years, the Tiago has evolved from a decent but overlooked hatchback into one of the most impressive affordable cars in the country. 

Here’s a list of compelling reasons why you should consider purchasing the Tata Tiago.

There’s A Power Option For (Almost) Everybody

These days, the luxury of choice is one of the more beneficial aspects of the automobile industry. It’s become one of the main things buyers look for in a new car. And when it comes to the core of the Tiago, Tata offers plenty of choices that the buyers can choose from.

The Tiago comes in three fuel types, negating the need to look elsewhere unless you want a diesel car (which you aren’t going to find in this segment anyway). Although there is only a single-engine option once you’re settled on the fuel type, the fact the Tiago is an affordable option for folks seeking a petrol, CNG, or electric car is worthy of praise.

Factory-fitted CNG Hatchback With Top-Spec Trim Options

A CNG car is not news to anyone in India, and in recent times, even a factory-fitted CNG car is pretty common. However, you will notice that it’s the base-level and the mid-level trims that other companies like Maruti Suzuki, and Hyundai offer CNG in this segment.

Tata broke the mold with the Tiago by offering its top-of-the-line XZ+ trim with a CNG kit in the boot. The XZ+ trim, even in its CNG counterpart, comes with appealing tech features such as a 7-inch touchscreen display with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, Voice Command, LED DRLs, Projector Headlamps, TPMS, and a premium interior finish.

A Dashing Body Cocooned in 4-Star Safety

Tata makes some of the strongest and safest cars in the market right now, and the Tiago is no different, with a 4-Star safety rating in Global NCAP. But that’s not all; the Tiago also comes with safety techs such as ABS, EBD, parking sensors, and seat belt reminders in all variants. Depending on the trim, you also get some essential goodies like a rear defogger, rear parking camera, fog lamps, and even a TPMS.

While developing the facelift for the Tiago in 2020, Tata made sure they only fixed the things that were broken in the first place. Taking cues from Altroz, Tata’s premium hatchback, the Tiago borrowed some design elements from the Altroz, like its front grille, and some interior design from other, more premium Tata SUVs. Now, the Tiago is not only safe but also stylish.

There’s Plenty of Bang For The Buck

While buying a new car, it goes without saying that the value for money aspect is paramount. When we talk about value-for-money, the Tiago is definitely one of the best choices in its segment, offering the perfect blend of affordability, practicality, and available features. 

With a starting price of just Rs. 5.60 lakh, the Tiago might just be the car for someone who would like their retirement plans uninterrupted. Even the base XE trim has some comfort and convenience features like dual tone interior, front power outlet, adjustable front headrests, and segmented digital display in the instrument cluster.

Why You Should Not Consider the Tata Tiago

While the Tiago has a lot going on for it, it is by no means a perfect car that can do it all. Like all other cars, the Tiago has its shortcomings, and those have mainly to do with the engine and the interior.

The Engine-Transmission Combo Is Not The Smoothest

The ever-changing norms for emission control are getting stricter by the year. As a result, most companies jumped ship from 4-cylinder to 3-cylinder engines, and the Tata is one of them. Removing a cylinder from an engine would increase its efficiency and mitigate pollution, but it’s a double-edged sword. Along with these benefits, the engine loses some of its smoothness and refinement, especially during idle rpm. The transmission comes off as somewhat jerky and rough when changing gears, both in its manual and automatic form. Tata has sorted the chassis, exterior, pricing, and its position in the segment, but there’s still some work to do on the powertrain side.

The Tiago EV Can Get A Little Pricey

We have been getting electric hatchbacks, sedans, and SUVs for quite a while now. Yet, we are still in the initial chapters of the electric revolution in the automobile industry. There are still issues to tackle and troubles to bear, and one of them is the manufacturing cost of an EV. 

The Tiago EV is the second most affordable EV Hatch at Rs. 8.69 Lakhs. But the top trim XZ+ can make quite a hole in your pocket with the ex-showroom price lingering around the 12 lakh barrier. One can get a decent midsize SUV for that money if they are not fixated on getting an EV.

Tata Tiago Variants and Price

Tata firmly believes in doing all the work for you when it comes to selecting specific features for your car. As a result, you will find several trims in most of their cars. The Tiago comes in 4 main trims. However, if you add up specific editions, dual-tone versions, and limited editions, the count goes up to 21! Imagine where that number would end up at if the Tiago came with the Dark or Kaziranga edition as well. For now, let’s focus on the four main trims — the XE, XM, XT, and XZ.

The petrol and CNG variants share the features across the different variants with the differences found only in the mechanical components such as suspension, wheels, and of course, the fuel type. The Tiago EV’s trims follow a similar trajectory to its IC versions, but there are some differences in the features list.

First up, there’s the base variant called XE. It’s the most affordable variant with its price being one of the most significant features. As a result, there is not much to offer in terms of luxury and entertainment. Moreover, there’s also some common features such as a music system and power windows missing in this one. Well, Tata had to cut the cost somewhere to ensure the affordability with the Tiago.

Then comes the mid-level XM. This is a CNG-exclusive variant that comes with central locking, anti-glare mirrors, power windows, and a 2Din music player with Bluetooth and AUX. Basically, it’s the base model with some essential features at around Rs. 35,000 extra. The idea is that if you are spending lakhs on purchasing a new car, you might as well gather a few bucks more and get these features which make things a lot easier and more entertaining.

The XT is the upper-mid trim for the Tiago, and it offers quite a generous list of features for its price tag. The Tata Tiago XT has some notable features, such as driver seat height adjustment, dual-tone wheels, steering-mounted audio controls, and auto door-locking. The petrol version of the XT trim costs Rs. 6.40 Lakh, while the CNG one comes in at Rs. 7.34 Lakh and the EV with a price tag of Rs. 9.29 Lakh. The Tiago NRG starts with this trim and it comes with dual-tone front and rear bumpers and black cladding on side skirts. The NRG also gets some visual features such as squared wheel arches, integrated roof rails, and an Infinity Black roof.

Finally, you have the XZ+ variant, which is top-of-the-line for Tiago (as well as most other Tata products). The XZ+ trim includes appealing features like 15” Alloy wheels, projector headlamps, a cooled glovebox, auto-folding ORVM, Apple Carplay, and Android Auto. The XZ+ is also the costliest with prices between Rs. 7.15 Lakh and Rs. 11.04 Lakh depending on the fuel type. 

It’s also worth noting that the Tata Tiago EV comes with some extra tech like remote locking, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, smartwatch connectivity, and various connected car features through Tata’s ZConnect. The NRG has the XZ variant instead as its top trim, and it additionally gets dual-tone alloy wheels, a charcoal black interior, push-button start with keyless entry, and electric tailgate release.

Best Tata Tiago Variant to Buy

From the available variants, the upper-mid-level XT trim comes off as the best variant to buy, especially compared to the base variant and the price it goes for. The base model misses out on some crucial features, and the top level might stretch the budget of hatchback-seeking buyers too much. That’s why, you should check out the Tata Tiago XT if you want a decent hatchback with all the necessary features as well as safety and affordability.

You should also note that the top-level XZ+ offers quite an extensive list of features for its money, and it is worth upgrading to the top variant in either fuel type if you have the budget for it. 

Additionally, the NRG version offers some visual enhancements both outside and inside. It’s completely worth the minor price increase if you want that extra appeal.

Tata Tiago Warranty & Service Cost

The IC-engined Tata Tiago comes with a standard warranty of 2 years or 75,000 km, whichever comes first. The regular Tiago asks for services at six months or 7,500 km intervals. In addition to that, the CNG version requires a separate servicing every 12 months or 15,000 km. 

The Tiago EV comes with a 3-year/1,25,000 km vehicle warranty and an 8-year/1,60,000 battery warranty. The Tiago EV requires servicing every 6 months or 7,500 Km, whichever is earlier. 

The estimated maintenance cost for a Tata Tiago for five years is Rs. 23,561. And while the Tiago EV doesn’t require any engine maintenance (due to the obvious absence of an engine), it does require regular servicing on other mechanical parts and components. The overall cost of a Tiago EV is around Rs. 1,500 for the first year and around Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 5,000 from second year onwards.

Tata also offers an extended warranty plan of 1 year or up to 1,30,000 Km with varying prices depending on the variant and the time of request in relation to the date of purchase.

Summary

Lately, Tata has elevated its reputation for making strong and appealing cars in the Maruti- and Hyundai-dominated Indian market, especially in the hatchback and SUV segments. 

The Tata Tiago, regardless of its fuel type, has cemented its position as one of the top choices for an affordable car with all the bells and whistles commonly found in its segment. Apart from a safe chassis and a pliant ride, the Tiago offers a tempting blend of charming looks, superb accessibility, premium features, and affordability. If you are looking for a safe hatchback offering plenty of bang for the buck, you should definitely consider the Tata Tiago.